Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-03-18
MONEY MAKING IN WASHINGTON
Curious weys OF "Raising the Wind
Adopted by Residents of the Capital.

Adopted Iy Residents Of the Capital.
There are many curious ways OF
making money in Washington" said
leading lawyer to me last night writes
carp" to the Cleveland Leader.
1.-THE curbstone brokers hero do
bettcr business than pawnbrokers OF
other cities, and they charge as high as
10 per cent. month for money. There
are Is, 900 clerks in Washington. Nearly
half OF them live ahead of their salary
and not n few speculate. These men are
always borrowing money, and they pay
2, 3, 5, and 10 per cent. month for it.
The business of lending has grown to
such an extent that there are men who
follow it as profession. The national
banks are concerned in 1t indirectly and
there are numbers of small banks which
do nothing else. These small banks
have their agents among the clerks.
Such agents are generally employed in
tho departments, and n banking firm
has one in each of the big buildings.
This man gives out that he has
little money to lend on his own hook.
The borrower goes with him to his
bank, and with two good endorsers gets
the money on his promissory note at a
high rate of interest, but the interest
is put in the note and not charged upon
its face. The bank then endorses this
note over to the national bank with
which it deals, and when the time
comes for payment the clerk pays it
or he finds the influences brought to
bear which will turn him out of Office
if he refuses to pay.
MANY prominent mon with an eyeto the
main chance have been engaged in this
business through third parties, and there
is bank now near the Post-otlce
Department whose capital comes from
IL leading Ohio statesman who had
| charge Of one OF the leading bureaus last
| year"
. How about speculation in Washing
| toni"
This is the greatest place in the
| world to speculate. Everyon, does IL,
and women and men, poor and rich
| clerks and Congressman, all watch the
| ticker and bet on the rise and fall of
| stocks. There arc dozens of bucket
| shops in Washington located near the
| great departments, and there is one
| within Il stones throw of the Capitol
where you may find Congressman daily.
"Of course, such speculation brings
| ruin to many clerks" this gentleman
continued, land it brings about petty
defalcatons to the Government Ii is
on par with hundreds of poker games
which are played night after night here,
and speaking of this reminds me that |
know the inside history ola little trouble
| in connection with the Congressional
Library which has never been published.
Several years ago tho young inan
connected with the Library who went
monthly TO the Treasury with an order
from tho Librarian and brought the few
| thousand dollars needed in bag re-
ported that he had lost the money.
think it amounted to $4,000. He had
stepped, he said, into restaurant, and
had the bag down for moment. When
he started TO go he found 1t had disap-
peared.
" He reported his loss, and tho state.
mcnt WAS given out that the authorities
had perfect confidence in his honesty
md some OF them repaid the money
Tor BIN. He was retained for a short
time in the office and then Disappeared
. met in Boston tho other day al
old lady who Is great friend or 6
wealthy Congressman or ex-Congress
nan OF that place, who is known x
the worll as a Jolly good fellow. She
spoke 10 me about this defalcation. and
told me that this Congressman had ,old
her that this SO 900 Which was reported
TO have been lost was in reality stolen
by tho young man. and lost by him
to General OF tue Army and couple
OF Congress man in q poker game the
night before. He had gotten the draft
the day previous TO the reported stealing
and cashed 1t.
The statesman and military man did
not, OF course. know where it came from,
but it is supposed that fearing ii AN in
vestsation was ordered. the fact of their
poker game would come to tho public.
they brought such influences 10 bear that
the young man was not prosecuted, and
the story he trumped up was made to
hold good"